Live a Little
by DragonDancer5150
Summary: The team that plays together, pays together. Mostly Build-Team-centric, whole group at the end. All eight members are part of the team by this point, but no real spoilers for the series otherwise. Brave Police J-Decker COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note – This started off as a simple, lighthearted "I wonder what the guys do when they're not working…LOL I'll bet they fight over the TV remote or something." I started writing the idea, and, uh . . . it _seriously_ ran away from me. As my fics are wont to do. But I'm really pleased with how it turned out. I hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoyed writing!

Also, as always, MUCH MUCH LOVE to my amazing beta, MyAibou who, as I've said before, is once again willing to help beta in a fandom she doesn't even know. ILU BB!

Disclaimer – "Brave Police J-Decker" and all related characters, events, and concepts belong to Sunrise, Nagoya TV, and any other related owners/distributors/producers. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters.

"Live a Little"  
by DragonDancer5150

CHAPTER ONE

McCrane sat at his desk in the Decker Room, the Brave Police's bullpen. The lights had been dimmed, the rest of the precinct building occupied primarily by the afterhours cleaning staff at this point. Much of the police force and all of administration had gone home for the night, leaving only those on active night patrol. Deckard was among the former, having left about a half-hour ago to take their boss home, Shadowmaru and Gunmax among the latter.

As the din in the room gained in volume, so did the head of the Build Team's robotic equivalent of a headache and his wish that he had been scheduled to be allowed out for night patrol as well.

"Dude, we watched soccer last night!"

"Yeah, but Argentina's playing tonight! And they're up against Belgium! You _know _that's gonna be a good game!"

"Good, sure . . . if you like soccer. But sorry, little bro, vote's two against one. We're watching wrestling tonight."

McCrane looked up from the movie he'd been trying to watch on his computer screen to study the rest of his sub-team. Power Joe and Dumpson were playing keep-away with the remote control for the big flat-screen monitor dominating the left wall of the room. It was primarily used for debriefings, but it was also the only screen they had with cable-television access (officially only for newscasts). Drill Boy danced between the other two as they tossed the little black device back and forth across the room, teasing their teammate who stood more than a head shorter. Drill Boy crashed into Dumpson as he made a leap for the remote, and both robots stumbled over Deckard's chair and into his half of the team-lead desks, jostling the whole table.

Duke looked up from his half, disturbed out of the book he'd been reading. _More likely, _trying_ to read_, McCrane guessed. The Brave Police's second-in-command gave McCrane a glance. _'They're your responsibility,'_ the look seemed to say. McCrane sighed and nodded. Duke stood up. "I'm going to retire for the night. Try to not trash the place too badly, you three."

The trio straightened, offering salutes that were a bit jauntier than maybe they should be. "Roger!"

McCrane also stood, giving his teammate a nod. "Good night, Duke."

"Good night, McCrane." A faint grin quirked the corner of Duke's mouth as he glanced and thumbed McCrane's attention at the other three. "And good luck." He turned and left for their maintenance bay, headed for his docking cradle to settle into and shut down for the night.

McCrane eyed his team as he relaxed back in his chair. "All right, guys. Settle down. If you're that wound up and bored, I can call Saejima-san to see about assignments for the night." Since technically they weren't supposed to be out and about unless they were on duty, especially at night. Almost seven months since the first of them had been brought online and inducted into service, and that restriction still held. _Damned paranoid board of directors_...

Dumpson did an excellent impression of a human rolling his eyes. "Oh, come on, McCrane. Even if we are feeling cooped up, doesn't mean we wanna _work_. We worked all day already!"

"Yeah!" Power Joe was nodding. "I don't know about you, but I just want to unwind with some television. Blow off steam with some exciting sports, you know?"

Drill Boy made an irritated noise, arms crossed and a supremely unhappy look on his face. "But guys," he complained, "that's not even _real_! You know they stage the whole thing, right? That's not a sport. Besides, those guys look so lame, all dressed up in their stupid Halloween costumes." He turned to McCrane. "McCrane-senpai, tell them!"

Power Joe quirked a grin at Dumpson. "Hey, I think he just called you lame-looking, 'Kamikaze'."

McCrane remembered the case Power Joe was referring to. Just a few weeks ago, Dumpson along with their boss Yuuta, had gone undercover in Domingo Republic after a smuggling ring dealing in stolen military weapons and parts being used in an underground robotic wrestling circuit. With a classic, albeit giant-sized, wrestler's mask and cape, Dumpson had passed himself off as a human-piloted wrestling robot named Kamikaze.

Drill Boy flinched as Dumpson glanced at Power Joe, then rounded on him. The group's junior threw his hands up, waving them in alarm. "What!? No, no, no, I didn't say that! Besides, you're the one who decided to get rid of that mask. 'I like my face as it is,' remember!?" He backed away as his teammate advanced.

Dumpson had a smirk on his face. "The costumes might be lame, but I can show you some very _not_-lame wrestling moves."

Drill Boy yelped as Dumpson lunged at him, managing to duck the other's arms with scant millimeters to spare. "Dumpson! Senpai, help!" He threw himself to the side, only to find himself nearly in Power Joe's grip.

"Hey, Drill Boy – Cobra Twist!" Power Joe crowed as he made a grab at his teammate, referring to the finishing move of a famous wrestler of whom he and Dumpson were both fans.

McCrane recalled Power Joe catching Drill Boy in that move once before. By the look of near-panic that crossed Drill Boy's face, he did too. Drill Boy wailed. "Noooo! That move hurts! Leave me alone, guys! C'mon! Knock it off! Senpai!"

McCrane shifted to get to his feet again and break up his teammates, but then, with a gasp, he stood so hard, his chair fell over behind him. "Guys! Not so close to-!"

Too late! Dumpson and Power Joe had cornered Drill Boy, who threw himself backwards in an attempt to buck from them. In doing so, he slammed squarely into the monitor on the wall behind him. McCrane cringed and all three of his teammates froze in shock at the crunch as the screen shattered, raining glass all over the Build Team.

The sudden silence in the room was broken only by a soft buzz of distress by the door. McCrane dragged his gaze from his teammates to see who it was.

Gunmax stood for an instant, mouth hung open and optics so bright they were easily visible behind his visor. Then he slipped into an uneasy smirk, stance shifting to an approximation of his usual nonchalance as he shook his head. "_You are so dead_," he told them in English. Reaching, he snagged his forgotten badge off his desk, then held up both hands. "I wasn't here. I saw nothing. I don't know a damned thing." With that, he beat a hasty retreat.

McCrane heaved a heavy sigh and turned back to his errant teammates. Not one of them had dared move yet. "Well, don't just stand there. Clean that mess up."

"Y-yes, sir!" The three broke apart from their huddle.

McCrane watched his team scramble about for something with which to gather the broken glass. Power Joe went through the team's desks and Dumpson ducked out of the room into the maintenance bay. After a moment's hesitation, Drill Boy just dropped to his knees, trying to scoop the shards into a pile with his hands. What they needed were brooms or a vacuum cleaner or something. McCrane realized that there wasn't any such thing in the building, not that a robot of their size could realistically use. He shook his head and stepped over to Drill Boy, stooping to catch him by the shoulder. Gaining Drill Boy's attention, he looked up at Power Joe, addressing both of them. "Never mind. I'll ask someone from the cleaning crew to come in. Just . . . maintenance bay. Now." He pointed. "Tell Dumpson too."

"McCrane . . . all right." Abandoning his search for supplies, Power Joe made his way across the room, pausing at the door to wait for his teammate.

Drill Boy gazed up at McCrane, looking miserable. "I-I'm sorry, Senpai."

McCrane nodded, giving his shoulder a squeeze. "I know, just . . . go on." He helped Drill Boy to his feet and watched him cross the room. Power Joe slipped a brotherly arm around his teammate's shoulders, Drill Boy tucking to his side, as they headed through the door together.

McCrane turned the other way and stepped to the raised deck that ran along the front wall of the room and a little around on the left. As a general part of the building, it was a continuation of the second story of the structure beyond the wall of the Decker Room. Coming to hip height on the Brave Police, it was where their human companions came in and could speak with them at closer to an even level. Stretching across the deck, McCrane carefully opened the door that led into the rest of the building. He called and tapped his fingers on the floor in the hallway until someone noticed and came to answer. He grinned when he recognized the janitor – the man was a regular and visited with them often, when his schedule allowed it. "Good evening, Okiayu-san."

The human was an older gentleman, with white hair that had thinned across the top, wrinkles from smiling, and kindly grey-green eyes. "McCrane-kun_,_" he murmured with a slight bow of greeting, concern in his gaze. "I thought I heard a commotion. Is everything all right?" He glanced around the now-empty room, eyes widening at the sight of the monitor. "Oh!"

"Well . . . no one was hurt, anyway."

"Did your boys get too rowdy again?" A knowing grin had spread across Okiayu's face, his look one of amusement.

"Yes, I'm afraid so. Could I ask for a couple people to come clean that up?" McCrane gestured at the mess of glass all over the floor.

"Yes, yes, of course." Okiayu easily waved off the request as if it were no trouble, but then he turned to gaze at the massive door in the far corner, ostensibly into the maintenance bay where the others were. He shook his head sadly. "Children really should be allowed out to play. It's not good to keep them locked up like this."

McCrane eyed the elderly human, surprised. "You think they're children?"

Okiayu looked up at McCrane, a twinkle in his eyes. "Aren't you all?" McCrane certainly didn't think so, and that must have shown on his face because Okiayu nodded. "You are capable of the maturity to do the jobs you were built to do, but think about it, my friend. I have heard that Super A.I.'s develop the more they – you – interact with humans. You start off with a set degree of knowledge and understanding and ability, but your beginning point is not your ending point. You continue to learn and grow, do you not? Much like a child? How old are you, McCrane-kun?"

McCrane gazed at him a moment, finally replying. "I was inducted into the force just over six months ago, as were Power Joe and Dumpson."

Okiayu nodded. "And Drill Boy-kun only about three months ago, was he not?" The old man smiled, a fond grin like he was talking to a grandchild. "Don't think that people have not been paying attention, watching all of you. I have, and my family with me. You are all truly remarkable. You are powerful and you have done so much already, but you are all still so innocent. The world has not jaded you yet, not really. You still share the exuberance of children, and the trust that all will be right in the end." He looked again at the door across the way. "And some of you are even more childlike than the others. Your teammates remind me of my sons when they were younger, and their sons now. They do their chores and go to school and do their homework, they fulfill the responsibilities given to them, but they need their time to play as well, to act out and be themselves outside of those responsibilities and cares. Adults learn to conform and 'behave', and if need be, give up play altogether and learn to do without being themselves as they truly wish to be. Children have not learned this yet. It is the definition of childhood, and its magic." Okiayu turned his attention up to McCrane once more. "Is that not true of your teammates as well? Is that not true of all of you?"

McCrane gazed back at Okiayu, surprised by the words . . . and the truth he felt he knew in them. He remembered thinking, and not for the first time, about the board of directors keeping them cooped up in these rooms when not on patrol – when not needed, like they were some kind of work tools – and how it felt restrictive. He shook his head. "You forget, Okiayu-san. Regardless of how mature or childlike we may seem . . . we're just robots." He looked at the door across the way. "And they really do need to learn to control themselves better." The words sounded hollow to him. He knew it wasn't that simple, as much as he might wish it were.

"Are you?"

"Hm?" McCrane looked back down at Okiayu. There was that knowing expression again. Sometimes, McCrane felt like the old man could see right through him.

"Are you really 'just' a robot, McCrane-kun?" Before McCrane could answer, a voice down the hall, another of the cleaning staff, called Okiayu's name. The old man called back, "I'm in the Decker Room, Mika-chan. I'll be right there." He looked up at McCrane, reaching to rest a gnarled hand against the smooth metal of McCrane's arm. "You are only 'just' what you choose to be, McCrane-kun. Others cannot truly limit you unless you let them." He patted McCrane's arm. "I'll get Mika-chan and some of the others to come clean up that glass. You go. Be with your team and rest now. You've earned it." He gave McCrane another grandfatherly pat on the arm, then turned and shuffled back out of the room.

Alone once more, McCrane headed for the maintenance bay. He paused for a moment and surveyed the room. Eight docking cradles dominated the walls, four mounted along each side. On his right, only the far end one was occupied, Duke's optics dark as he stood against the wall in his cradle. The other three belonged to Shadowmaru, Gunmax, and Deckard, though the latter rarely occupied his except when his engineering team was running diagnostics or repairs on him. The cradle to McCrane's immediate left was also empty – that one was his. Next to it was Dumpson's, then Drill Boy's, and finally Power Joe's.

McCrane strode into the room. His team's optics were dark like Duke's, but a quick glance at the control consoles at their feet told him that they were far from powered down. "Guys," he murmured, loudly enough for them to hear but not so much, he hoped, to rouse Duke from his standby cycle. None of the three responded, but he saw Drill Boy's fingers twitch at his side. "Build Team, I know you're still awake."

It took another few seconds, but then they shifted reluctantly, optics coming back on as the three exchanged looks before focusing on McCrane. Drill Boy gave a sheepish shrug. "Can't sleep."

"McCrane . . . listen, we . . . " Dumpson started, but the words seemed to fail him.

"We're sorry, McCrane," Power Joe finished.

Drill Boy's hands tightened into fists at his sides. "We didn't mean to cause trouble!"

McCrane waved a hand. "It's all right. Just try to rest and quit worrying for now. I can't say this will just slide, but it's not like they'd reformat us or anything, not over something ultimately so petty."

Power Joe leaned a little out of his cradle to see McCrane better, moving carefully despite his obvious surprise so that he didn't pull any plugged-in cables free. "Wait...what?"

"'Us'?" Dumpson repeated.

"McCrane!? Senpai, no! You didn't do anything wrong! You shouldn't-"

McCrane stepped up and caught Drill Boy's flailing hands in both of his own, then shifted to reach across and catch Power Joe's near hand in one of his. He glanced to Drill Boy's other side, including Dumpson as he spoke. "We're a team, all _four_ of us. We are the Build Team. We stick together no matter what, right?"

The trio exchanged looks once more, then refocused on McCrane, nodding in unison. "Yes!"

McCrane nodded in return. "Good. Now get some rest, all of you. Good night, Drill Boy, Power Joe." He squeezed their hands – and they his – then let go, clasping hands with Dumpson as he passed on his way back to his own cradle. In turn, they each bid him good night as well, and one by one, their optics darkened again, dimming slowly as their systems slipped into standby.

McCrane stepped up onto the platform of his docking cradle, then turned and settled back against the wall. His joints balanced and locked automatically as mounts and docking ports clicked into place around him, some to monitor and some to help support him as he stood there. They were reassuring sensations, and McCrane gave in to the feeling of safety they offered. There'd be hell to pay tomorrow, he knew that – their opponents among the board of directors very likely now had just one more bit of "evidence" against them, about how reckless and "dangerous" they were (Azuma was sure to have a royal fit) – but he knew it would blow over and things would be all right again. He trusted that they would be.

_Hmn . . . trust . . . maybe Okiayu-san's onto something after all._

With that thought, McCrane let his Super A.I. wind down into sleep mode.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer – "Brave Police J-Decker" and all related characters, events, and concepts belong to Sunrise, Nagoya TV, and any other related owners/distributors/producers. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters.

"Live a Little"  
by DragonDancer5150

CHAPTER TWO

"Deckard, did Saejima-san say what this was about?"

"No, he didn't. He just said it's not a case but that we should be there. I've already called the school to let them know that you'll be late."

"Thanks." Yuuta sat back into the driver's seat of the patrol car, Deckard's vehicle form. The emergency lights and sirens weren't running, but from the way Deckard was driving, Yuuta could tell that his partner was anxious to get to the precinct and find out what had happened with the rest of their team. "No one's hurt, are they? Gunmax and Shadowmaru had patrol last night."

"No, they're fine. I radioed everyone as soon as I'd heard from Saejima-san, while you were finishing breakfast. None of the Build Team responded, but Shadowmaru said they're fine too. However, Duke said there was. . . an incident in the Decker Room last night."

Yuuta groaned, sinking down in the seat. "The guys weren't fighting or something, were they? I hope not." There had been some strife among the Build Team when Drill Boy had first been introduced, but that had been worked out months ago. The guys roughhoused around a lot – Power Joe and Drill Boy especially – but they'd not genuinely fought since those early days.

"I doubt it," Deckard replied, but the fan of indicator lights around the digital speedometer behind his steering wheel, which flashed in time with his voice, were a little dimmed to match the uncertain note in his tone.

Yuuta knew that Deckard was worried about his team. Yuuta was too, but his gentle-giant best friend was particularly sensitive to the needs and troubles of his teammates. Yuuta reached out to pat the center of the steering wheel. "Shadowmaru said everyone's okay. Let's just go with that and not worry too much until we know what's actually going on."

Deckard's dashboard flickered. "Yeah…"

They drove in silence the rest of the way and soon enough reached the police precinct. Deckard dropped Yuuta off at the front doors before continuing through traffic down the block to head to the side wing of the building where the Brave Police's entrance was, a massive roll-up door that opened directly into their maintenance bay. Despite his assurances to Deckard, Yuuta rushed through security, almost forgetting to check in, then ignored the elevator to dash up the stairs to the second floor and bolted down the hallway to the Decker Room at a dead run. He burst through the door onto the second-story deck and skidded to a stop at the scene before him.

" – replacement parts out of _your metal hides_!"

Yuuta cringed. He'd never heard Vice-Commissioner Azuma so angry. The tall, stocky man stood at the edge of the deck by Yuuta's desk, hands in fists, thoroughly dressing down the four robots lined up before him. Power Joe, Drill Boy, McCrane, and Dumpson stood at rigid attention. Not one of them would meet the man's gaze. McCrane's was locked dutifully on a spot on the wall in front of him, over the human's head, his expression neutral, if tight. The other three were looking anywhere but forward, their expressions contrite and miserable. Yuuta felt horrible for them, knowing what it was like to be in trouble like that. He felt his gut wrench in sympathy.

Behind Yuuta's desk, Police Commissioner Saejima stood with his arms crossed and head bowed slightly, eyes closed, as he often did when he was listening to something and thinking at the same time. Beside him, Mr. Toudou, the Brave Police team's chief designer and engineer, stood with one fist propped on a hip, the other hand pinching the bridge of his nose with an irritable expression on his face.

_Wow, what happened last night?_ Yuuta wanted to know. His gaze shifted to take in the rest of the room, finding its other occupants.

Duke sat calmly at his desk, watching the Build Team. Yuuta found it hard sometimes to read the stoic, British-built robot, but he thought he knew Duke well enough by now to know that he was concerned even if he wasn't showing it. Across the room, Shadowmaru stood by his desk, and Gunmax leaned against the far wall, both of them with arms crossed as if wanting no part in things. Yuuta couldn't have said that he blamed them. Deckard had arrived by then too, probably only a moment or so before Yuuta, and looked like he'd been shocked into motionlessness the same way Yuuta had. Pulling his gaze from his partner, Yuuta continued his survey around to the other wall . . . where a very broken monitor hung askew on bent moorings. _Ut-oh…_

"Well!?" Azuma snapped, loudly and suddenly enough to make just about everyone in the room jump, no one more so than the Build Team. "What do you have to say for yourselves?"

"Azuma-sama," McCrane started, his voice low.

"Azuma-sama!" Deckard started forward, visibly intent on rescuing his teammates from their superior's wrath.

Azuma rounded on him. "BP-Double-Oh-One, stay out of this!"

Deckard choked, stopped in his tracks at the use of his design designation over his name, hands clenching. The rest of the Brave Police, even the Build Team, reacted in outrage at the insult to their team lead and friend, though none of them dared speak up against Azuma.

They couldn't, but Yuuta could. Growling, Yuuta darted forward, latching onto Azuma's arm with both hands and yanking it for attention. "Azuma-san, that's going too far! Take it back!"

Azuma glared down his nose at Yuuta, then threw the Brave Police a cold, disdainful look. "I don't apologize to _robots_, boy." He jerked his arm free. "I don't apologize to ten-year-old children either." He shifted around on his heel, pointedly turning his back on Yuuta as he looked to Saejima and Toudou. "Saejima-sama, do you have nothing to add? It's _your_ pet robots that just busted the rest of our budget for the entire year."

Toudou scowled. "Azuma-san, Yuuta-kun's right, you do go too far."

Saejima unfolded his arms enough to wave Toudou into silence. Lifting his head, he pinned a razor-sharp gaze on Azuma.

Yuuta gasped. Saejima could be a peculiar man, prone to eccentricities and the occasional flight of fancy or drama, but this was one of those moments when Yuuta was reminded exactly why he was the commissioner of the Tokyo Metropolitan police force. His deep blue-grey eyes were as hard as Yuuta had ever seen them, his voice level and stony. "Azuma-kun, I won't ask you to apologize, but I will ask you to respect the Brave Police – and me – at least enough to watch your words to them in my presence. And forget the cost of the monitor. I'll replace it myself."

He hesitated a beat before the rigid set of his narrow shoulders slumped a little and he turned his full attention at last to the Build Team. Yuuta could see the disappointment in his eyes. The Build Team could too, Yuuta guessed. McCrane gazed back in silent apology. Power Joe, Dumpson, and Drill Boy hunched and shifted, looking like chastised school children. "I do agree that there needs to be some sort of disciplinary action, though, to help deter future incidents."

"Mn." Azuma nodded, then rounded on the Build Team once more. "I have a meeting with Oka-san from the Sanitation Council later this morning anyway. I'll arrange it with him. Starting today, you four are on garbage detail for the next week and through the weekend. Double shifts." He thought for an instant, then added, "And no showers or car washes until the assignment is up. Have I made myself clear?"

The foursome exchanged looks of dismay, then followed McCrane's lead to snap salutes in unison. "Yes, sir!"

Mollified, Azuma cast one last, disgruntled glare around the room, then turned and strode for the hall, slamming the door shut behind him. Those remaining, robots and humans alike, heaved a collective sigh of relief as the tension in the room suddenly drained like water from a bathtub.

Gunmax pushed off the wall to approach the Build Team. He had a smirk on his face, waving a hand before his nose as if fanning away some terrible stench. "Whew! Guess who's sleeping out in the parking lot for the next week."

Shadowmaru followed him, frowning. "Guess who else is pulling double-duty shifts to cover things while fully half the team is out of commission for the next week."

Drill Boy curled in on himself. "S-sorry, Shadowmaru . . . everyone . . . "

Power Joe's shoulders slumped. "We'll make it up to you guys, promise. Cover shifts for you next week or something." Dumpson and Drill Boy nodded in agreement.

Duke reached to power on the monitor at his desk. "I'll start working out new shift schedules." He glanced first at Deckard, then Saejima and Yuuta, silently asking for approval before presuming to do so.

Yuuta nodded, but he could see that the team was still upset. "Guys," he called, getting their attention. "No one's hurt. That's the most important thing." The team nodded as one in response.

"Guv," Toudou murmured, addressing Saejima by the nickname that he used, "what's going on with Azuma-san? That was harsh even for him. Especially considering the severity of the situation . . . or lack of, I should say."

Saejima's gaze had softened considerably, and remained so as he shifted to regard the door through which Azuma had left. He pulled a deep breath, looked at Toudou, at Yuuta, and finally turned to the Brave Police. "Please try to forgive him. Besides the pressure he's getting as head of the Finance Committee, what with the quarterly-financials coming up due, he also has some things personally going on. You remember that big bank robbery the other day? Azuma-kun's son and granddaughter were among those caught in the chaos before you guys arrived to take out the thieves' robots. They were both evacuated from the scene by ambulance. His son was released later that day, but his granddaughter is still in the hospital recovering from orthopedic surgery to deal with some of her injuries. Azuma-kun was told yesterday afternoon that they'll need to keep her at least another few days due to an infection that's developed in the surgical site."

The news hit Yuuta like a punch to the stomach. "Robots nearly killed some of Azuma-san's family? Wow, no wonder he's so mad." Suddenly, he felt sorry for the man. Mostly, anyway – Azuma _had_ still just taken some of his best friends to task over what he was sure had just been a harmless accident.

Gunmax snorted. "_Wonderful_," he muttered in English, then continued, "and I thought he hated us _before_."

Deckard came forward the rest of the way. "That may be, about his family, and I'm truly sorry for it. I'm glad that they'll be all right after all – " He shook his head. " – but that doesn't excuse him from taking it out on us like that, does it?"

Saejima huffed a sigh and shook his head. "No, it doesn't, Deckard, and I'll talk to him about it again later. In the meantime . . . " The commissioner visibly shifted gears, looking sidelong at the Build Team in general and then turning to McCrane in particular. "I've watched the security footage from last night. I saw what happened . . . and I know about your conversation with one of the cleaning staff."

Duke gave McCrane a questioning look. "Cleaning staff?"

McCrane nodded. "Okiayu-san brought in some people to help with the clean-up." He turned back to the commissioner. "Saejima-san, about what he said-"

Saejima gave him a dismissive wave, cutting him off, then looked up with a grin and a twinkle in his eyes. "What he said was absolutely right, McCrane."

Toudou stepped forward, a fond grin on his face as his gaze swept the room. "Yes, it was. I've always said that it's not right you guys are kept cooped up like you are."

"And I now have good reason to bring the issue up with the board of directors again!" Saejima's tone was one of triumph. He turned for the door, commenting with a wave over his shoulder. "Children really do need to be allowed out to play."

"Huh?" "Wait, what!?" "Who are you calling children?"

The last was Power Joe, who looked downright offended. In that moment, though, Yuuta thought maybe it was appropriate after all. He crossed his arms and pinned a "look" on his teammate, pulling his best impression of his father. "Who was rough-housing around indoors last night when he knows better?" Yuuta didn't know exactly what had happened yet, but he knew the guys well enough to guess.

Power Joe winced and hung his head. "Sorry, Boss."

Toudou had turned to follow Saejima, but he paused at the door, a wide grin on his face. "You kids try to behave yourselves until we get back, will you?" Chuckling at the looks on their faces, he left.

Deckard stepped forward. "Yuuta, I should get you to school."

"Mn." Yuuta nodded. "I'll meet you around front." He had to check back out through security, since he wasn't leaving on duty. He waved at the others. "Bye, guys! See you again later."

"Later, Boss!" came the chorus from the rest of the room.

As the door closed behind Yuuta, he heard Shadowmaru ask, "So . . . what exactly did Okiayu-san say last night?"


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer – "Brave Police J-Decker" and all related characters, events, and concepts belong to Sunrise, Nagoya TV, and any other related owners/distributors/producers. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters.

"Live a Little"  
by DragonDancer5150

CHAPTER THREE

Deckard leaned back against a tree, careful not to put too much of his weight on it and crack or uproot it. He was sitting, putting the push of his body low against the trunk, so he wasn't overly worried. The sun had just finished setting over the Sea of Japan. With the clouds in the sky, it had been a beautiful sight, one he rarely had the pleasure of simply enjoying. That alone would have made it special, but tonight it was only one aspect.

"So pretty," he heard Drill Boy murmur to his left, the words coming out in a breathy sigh.

"Yeah," Dumpson agreed from somewhere behind Deckard's left shoulder. "We should do this more often."

"Since it seems we may actually be allowed to," Duke added, his soft voice sounding in from Deckard's right.

Deckard looked around at the rest of his team, all perched on a narrow mountain ridge high above Kanazawa. The whole team, all eight robots, was present. Deckard couldn't remember a time when all of them had been out and about together that they'd not been busy with some case or other. Actually, no, he realized – it wasn't that he couldn't remember.

It was that it had never happened.

The Brave Police got days off, just like the rest of the police force, but they had never all been scheduled off at the same time. The board's reasoning had been that it was a bad idea for all of them to be off-duty at any given moment in case an incident came up and they were needed. As Yuuta had tried to argue for them, though, it wasn't as if they'd just not respond if called. Apparently, it had seemed as if that was exactly the board's worry, that they'd all go rogue if given half a chance. Best to keep an eye – or as Toudou had put it in irritation, a leash – on as many of them at a time as they thought they could get away with.

Deckard shook his head. Perhaps in time, their situation would change more radically. Super A.I.s were still brand new and, for many, feared and distrusted. It helped nothing that the eight of them plus four police robots in England assigned to Scotland Yard were the only actual legal Super A.I.s in existence to date and that any others that showed up were almost by their very nature rogues and criminals. Powerful and dangerous ones, at that.

Deckard ran a hand over his face, dispelling the thoughts before the frustration could really get a foothold on him. He didn't want to have think about any of that, least of all tonight. He turned to the rest of the team. "So . . . what do we want to do now?"

The others exchanged looks, visibly unsure how they wanted to answer that. The group had already done more today than any of them had let themselves really consider before.

It had been a week and a half since the incident over the monitor. By the time the Build Team had been released back to regular service, it had taken Deckard, Duke, Shadowmaru, and Gunmax - along with Yuuta, Toudou, and many of the Build Team's engineering staff - over an hour in the maintenance bay with hoses, brushes, and strong cleaners to soak and scrub the caked grime from their teammates. Once they were finally clean again, their maintenance teams had insisted on running thorough diagnostics, the engineers checking their systems for adverse effects from exposure to the crap they'd been hauling around for the past week-plus.

Then yesterday, before going home for the evening, Saejima had broken the news to the team – they had the entire next day off, all of them. The only things requested of them were that they stay together, they remain on the main island, they keep their comms ready in case anything came up, and that they be back by midnight, ostensibly so that they had plenty of time to fuel and recharge before getting back to work the following day. The group had been ecstatic, though that was dampened somewhat when they realized most of their friends wouldn't be able to join them. Kimizuka Ayako was in Seoul chasing what she believed was going to be a big scoop. Colonel Onoue Seia was busy with her Self-Defense Force squadron overseeing a project all the way down in Kumamoto all week. Even Yuuta and his buddies would be away on an overnight field trip up in Aomori and too much of their science grade depended on it for them to miss it. The Brave Police were, for the first time ever, entirely on their own for the day. Deckard knew that, as much as anything, it was a test of how much they could be trusted without anyone around to "handle" them.

The group had gone to visit with Yuuta's sisters and neighbors first thing, catching them before work and school. Mudra fixed an Indian meal for himself, Azuki and Kurumi, Coach, Kashiwazaki, and Mrs. Itohata which they ate at a patio table they had carried into the restaurant's parking lot, where the Brave Police had gathered to spend breakfast with them. They toasted one another with water, tea, and gasoline. After that, the team made it over to the elementary school in time for morning recess and spent time surrounded by children. Then, the group basically wandered all over central Honshuu, wherever the winds of fancy blew them. They visited shrines and historical landmarks, drove through cities and lush countryside slowly enough to enjoy them, and looked up and checked in on people they'd met in the past through cases they'd worked in the areas. As the sun began to sink, they'd found this vantage point on the northwestern face of the mountains to settle and just appreciate the approaching dusk.

The clouds had followed the sun over into the horizon, leaving the sky clear and laden with stars. A three-quarter waxing moon, hanging low and large, gilded the forest around them in blue-tinged silver.

"Catch a movie?" Power Joe suggested, finally breaking the silence. "There's a couple good ones playing right now."

Gunmax laughed. "Oh, sure. We can just crawl into a theater through the emergency exit."

Power Joe leaned over to punch his arm. "Idiot! I meant a drive-in."

"I know of a really nice one over in Toyama," Shadowmaru offered, waving a vague hand out and to their right, north up the coast.

"Oh!" Drill Boy's exclamation startled everyone as he jumped to his feet. "No, I got it! I saw a place on the way up here that'd be perfect even!" Before Deckard or the others could question him, he'd dropped into his vehicle mode and sped off down the road. Deckard sighed, gestured after him as he climbed to his feet, and folded into vehicle mode as well. The others changed around him, Gunmax climbing back on his bike, and the group gave chase.

Drill Boy's tracks led the group off the road five miles back the way they'd come, ending in a rocky but mostly level clearing. The group shifted back to robot forms and stepped out into the empty field, looking around.

"SHOOT!" came a sudden shout of triumph from behind them. Drill Boy's customary soccer-based battle cry was the only warning the group got.

Deckard spun on his heel just in time to take a giant-robot-sized soccer ball square to the chest. Unprepared for the "attack" as he was, he gasped as it knocked him off his feet. Duke and McCrane caught his shoulders, sparing him from an embarrassing fall.

The soccer ball rolled back over to Drill Boy, who expertly toe-kicked it up into the air and started bouncing it off a knee. "Haha, c'mon, Deckard! Gotta be sharper than that!"

"Drill Boy, what's the big idea?" Dumpson demanded.

"Soccer!" Drill Boy crowed, catching the ball in one hand and spreading his arms to indicate the empty field around them.

Deckard looked again, realizing that it was clear of trees or even grass for them to worry about damaging, and large enough for all of them to run around in with room to spare. Drill Boy beamed back as Deckard turned to him once more. Deckard thought his teammate must have read his thoughts on his face.

"See? It's perfect! Whaddya say, guys? Build Team against . . . the rest of you." Drill Boy waved a playfully dismissive hand at Deckard, Shadowmaru, Duke, and Gunmax.

Duke shifted, looking uncomfortable. "I don't know how to play soccer."

Power Joe laughed. "No? Isn't that the national sport back in England or something?"

"Baseball is the national sport here in Japan, isn't it?" the British-built robot countered. His tone was mild, but his optics held a glint of annoyance. "Do you know how to play baseball?"

Power Joe thought about that and conceded with a nod. "Yeah, okay, point."

"We'll all learn together," Deckard told the group, then asked of Drill Boy, "You'll teach us, right?"

Drill Boy gaped at him. For all his excitement, it seemed that he hadn't expected them to actually agree. After an instant, he broke into a huge grin and saluted. "Roger!"

The game was, in Deckard's estimation, a chaotic train wreck – any real soccer players would have laughed the lot of them off the field, with the exception of Drill Boy. But it was an immensely fun train wreck, full of laughter and playful taunts as each side did its best. It was a chance to "fight" and throw their all into something that had nothing serious at stake. When the Build Team scored their fifth goal to the other side's two, the group called it good and collapsed in a heap in the middle of the field. Such an energetic game after an entire day out and about had left everyone low on power.

"We should head back while we can still make it on our own," Shadowmaru suggested, though he made no immediate move to do so.

"Dun wanna." Dumpson purposely slurred his words for emphasis as he lifted his head to tuck his hands under it. "It's nice out here."

"You can see the whole Milky Way out here," Power Joe marveled.

McCrane nodded. "It's beautiful."

"_Twinkle, twinkle, little star_," Gunmax started to sing in English but cut off with a snicker, snapping a hand up to catch the stone Dumpson tossed at him to shut him up.

Drill Boy shifted over onto his side and reached to poke at Duke. "Hey . . . does it look like this in England?"

Duke nodded. "You have to get out into the countryside like we are now, away from London, but yes. The exact starfield is shifted due to the difference of latitude, but it's close enough."

"Nice!" Drill Boy flopped onto his back again. "Maybe one day we'll get to go to London, and you can show us all around, yeah?"

"I'd like that," Duke murmured.

The group fell into a comfortable silence, content in one another's company. Deckard knew he should probably get his team moving, but...

Soon. Not yet. They had time yet.


End file.
